Hub.



No. 340,379. PATENTED JAN ."1,'1907'.' J. SAPP.

HUB.

APPLICATION FILED DOT. 7. 1905.

nmntw W 62mm 1n: NORRIS PETERS 60-. wAsnmc'roN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES E. SAPP, OF BAINBRIDGE, GEORGIA.

HUB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed October '7 1905. Serial No, 281,804.

The obj ectof this invention is to produce a hub in which the axialthrust upon the spindle and hub of the vehicle will be reduced to aminimum.-

A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a hub which is providedwith antifrio tion means for reducing the friction incident to thetravel of the rotating parts around the stationary parts of the hu thisinvention is to provide a hub having an elastic or flexible centerlocated and arranged in such relation to the spindle that it will rotatewith the hub portion and, furthermore, one that will be capable ofyielding to great axial pressure and sudden jolts and thrusts, as wellas carrying the radial pressure of the entire vehicle.

With these'and other objects in view my.

invention consists in the features and details of construction andcombinations of parts, as will be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and then more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section,and Fig. 2 alike view of the complementary parts of the hub segregated.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1 represents the body portionof the hub arranged to receive the spokes of the wheel. This bodyportion is provided at suitable intervals on its interior periphery-withslots or grooves 2, which slots or grooves are arranged to accommodate alug or pro ection 3, extending away from the annulus 4, which annulus isarranged to entirely fill the periphery of the interior of the bodyportion 1 of the hub. The extensions 3 are provided on said annulus forthe purpose ofallowing said an- ,gage the threaded sleeve 9.

nulus to rotate or travel with the remaining portion of the hub 1. Theprojections provided on said annulus are arranged to fit into the slotor groove 2, provided in the interior periphery of the hub, the saidslots being of suflicient length to permit said annulus to slidelongitudinally with respect to the spindle 5 and the hub portion 1. Thisannulus 4 has an elongated depressed portion 6, said portion beingthreaded and arranged to receive the ring 7, likewise provided withscrewthreads. This ring is secured onto the depressed portion 6 of theannulus 4 and serves to hold fast one end of a spring or other flexibleand expansible means whereby the axial and radial thrusts (if thevehicle are offset.

This flexible means consists in the present instance of a spiral spring8 being coiled around but spaced from the sleeves surrounding thespindle, each end of said spring being fastened to a ring 7, screwed tosaid annulus 4. A further and most important object of flanged portion11, which flanged portion is adapted to conform to the shape of the an--nulus 4. A cone or disk 12 is provided and arranged to be fitted ontothe extension 10 of the sleeve, which cone or disk 12 snugly fitsuponthe screw-threadedportionof saidsleeve 10 and lies flush with thegroove formed in the flanged portion 11 of said sleeve 9. A

similar disk 18 engages the screw-threaded portion of said disk 12,which disk completes the structure of one end of thehub,with theexception of. a dust-guard 14, arranged to fit over the extreme end ofthe hub-body 1. The opposite end of the hub is provided with a similarsleeve 15, which sleeve is provided with external screw-threads arrangedto en- In this manner the two sleeves are held securely in their properpositions. The'said sleeve 15 is likewise provided with a flanged andscrewthreaded portion as well as the remaining parts similar to theparts of the opposite side of the hub which have just been described andare similarly numbered. The flanged portions of the sleeves 11 and 12,as well as the ings 16.

disks 13, are each provided on their peripheral edges with concavitiesforming, substantially, a raceway for a plurality of ball-bear- Theseballs are adapted to travel in the concavity or groove formed by thedisk 13 and the flanges of the sleeves 11 and 12, the body portion ofthe hub revolving around these stationary parts having its annulus 4provided with a curved shoulder 17, which forms the other concavity forthe raceway in which the balls are designed to travel. The disks 12,which fitthe extensionsof the sleeves 11 as well as the disks 13, whichare designed to be seated on said disks 12, are

likewise provided in their exterior and interior periphery,respectively, with annular grooves orconcavities forming a raceway fortheballs- 16. The said annulus 4 has its peripheraledge curved toaccommodate the balls and to forma raceway therefor. In thismanner it isobviousthat with the sleeve ortions and the complementary disks of thelid-b remaining stationary and the hub portion'proper, together with itsannulus 4, rotating about these sleevesthe lateral strain of the:vehicle will be taken u and to a very important extent offset. T 1erovision of a spiral spring which is interpose between the longitudinalslidable annuli .will effectually relieve thelateral oriaxial strain andthrust caused by the travel of thewheels over uneven highways and roads,inasmuch as the joltingot the-vehicle fromone side to theother is takenup by the flexiblecenter, which acts as a backing for the ball-retainingcups at each end of the hub.

One of the principal results attained-by providing a flexible centerhaving metal threaded ends is thatwhen the annuli 4 be come. worn bythe. constant rotation of-the same; around the ball-bearings'the saidannuli canbe readily replaced with new ones at little expense.Furthermore, the provision or rings on the interior elongated portion ofsaid annuli serves also as a means for securing-the ends. of the spiral.spring forming the elastic,

center. I

Itwill beseenthat two of the parts of. the hub body I and the axialportions are separate and distinct and not in contact with each other,the samebeing spaced from" eachother, and the interposition of theball-bearings at the-above-described places insuring the retention ofthis space for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of. the.ball-bearings; The spring likewisebeingi fastened to the rings on theelongated portion of the annuli isfree from the sleeve and: rotatesabout'the samewithout contacting with them sothat there is noiriction onthis portion of the hub either against the: hub portion proper or thesleeves.

Having thusfully described my invention,

flexible means positionedcentrally of said spindle and surrounding thesame, for compensating for axial thrust,said axial-thrustcompensatingmeans taking the pressure from the thrust throughout its entire length,and cups fixed to said body portion for receiving the-ends of thethrust-compensating means.

3. In a vehicle-hub the combination with a body portion and anon-rotating spindle, of a plurality of annuli slidable within said bodyportion and surrounding said spindle and a "spring for forcing saidannuli in eitherdirection, whereby any axial thrust isvcompen satedi'or.

4. In a vehicle-hub the combinationwith a body portionhaving on itsinterior periphery a plurality of slots, of a plurality of rings withinand arranged to rotate with i said body portion, said rings having ribsarranged to slide in the slots of-said body portion, and longitudinallythereof, means interposed between said rings for causing saidlongitudinal movementof said rings, whereby thelateral Find axial thrustof the wheel is compensated" 5. In a vehicle-hub the-combination with abody portion and a spindle,'rings within said body portion and arrangedto rotate with respect to said spindle, of a plurality of sleevesmounted on said spindle, said-sleevesbeing interlocked and spaced from.said. rings, means positioned circumferentially of said sleeves forproducing a longitudinal, slidable movement of said rings, and meansinterposed between said sleeves and ringsfor reducing frictionalresistance.

6. In a vehicle-hub the combination with a body portion being providedwith a plurality of peripheral socketsof a plurality oi 'rings withinsaid body portion and arranged to fit said sockets said rings having anelongated flange provided with screw-threads, annuli arranged toengage'the screw-threaded portion of said rings, and meansinterposedbetween said rings whereby the axial thrust will be taken up and. offsetby the longitudinal movement of said rings and said sockets.

7. In a vehicle-hub the combination with a body portion and a spindle,of a plurality of sleeves interlocking with said spindle and IIO fixedagainst rotation, a plurality of cones at I interposed between saidrings for oflsetting either end-0f said sleeves and arranged to entheaxial thrusts of the vehicle.

IO gage said sleeves, said cones having raoeways In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature formed therein forball-bearings, rings Within inpresence of two witnesses.

said body portion and arranged to travel JAMES E. SAPP. around theball-bearings, said rings being Witnesses: slidable longitudinally'ofthe axis of the hub, A. S. MCBRIDE,

and annuli secured to said rings, and means T. B. MAXWELL.

